Edgy and restless form and imagery combined with story telling makes James Albertson's paintings and drawings reverberate with the viewer.

Albertson strives to create artwork that extends past the constraints of Modernism, which has lead to an aggressively personal painting style that earned him a place in the historic “Bad Painting” exhibition at the New Museum in New York City in 1978; and National Endowment for the Arts grants in 1980 and 1983.

He continues his efforts to avoid the conventions of high art and has participated in key exhibitions such as The Impolite Figure, 1983, San Jose Museum of Art; California A to Z, 1990, Youngstown, Ohio; The Lighter Side of Bay Area Figuration, 2000; Bizarre, 2002; and Hard Candy, 2004, San Jose.

Originally from Wisconsin, Albertson grew up in Illinois and received his B.F.A., from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1966. Moving to Oakland, California received his M.F.A. from California College of Arts and Crafts in 1968.

In 1989 Albertson moved to Sacramento, where he currently instructs 2D studio art at Sierra College and American River College.

Albertson’s artworks are in public and private collections, including the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento; Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio; di Rosa Preserve, Napa, CA;San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA; and Yale University Museum, New Haven, CT.

Fame Touches Vicent